The moment I stepped out of the forest, I stopped.
They were all there. Daryl, Carol, Maggie, Beth, T-Dog, Carl, sitting, standing, waiting. On the other side of the clearing, Javier and Kate were talking quietly with her family. And at the front, my group: Chicken Jerry, the priest, Dee, Lydia, Andrew, Michonne, Jane, and Molly, crouched beside the boulder with her hand on Clementine's shoulder.
I hadn't asked them to wait. I hadn't expected any of this.
Something tightened in my chest.
Clementine saw me first. She was on her feet before I could take another step, crossing the distance at a run, tears already on her face.
"I'm sorry." She crashed into me, arms locking around my back. "I'm so sorry for being so mean, Max. I didn't want to hurt your feelings. I shouldn't have said it. Please—please forgive me."
She held on like she was afraid I'd disappear. I wrapped my arms around her, careful but firm, and felt her heartbeat against my chest.
"No," I said quietly. "I'm the one who should be asking that."
I held her tighter.
"I yelled at you. I wasn't there when you needed me. I didn't trust you when I should have." I exhaled slowly against her hair. "I'm sorry, Clementine. For all of it."
She pulled back just enough to look at me, eyes still wet. I wiped her tears away, and then I kissed her. Not quick, not careful. Just honest.
A beat of silence passed over the clearing.
Then Jane's voice cut through it like a foghorn.
"Alright, people! Let's give the lovebirds some space before we witness something that can't be unseen!"
Scattered laughter rippled through the group. Molly didn't even try to hide her grin.
"Speak for yourself," she called back. "I'm comfortable right here."
The heat hit my face before I could stop it. Clementine went still against me, and I felt her tense, embarrassed, but not quite pulling away.
Then she did, just slightly. Just enough.
Molly tilted her head with a smirk. "Aw, why'd you stop? Things were just getting interesting. Thought the hand was about to go a little lower—"
"Molly." Michonne's voice was flat, though the corner of her mouth betrayed her. She glanced back at us with a raised eyebrow and a slow, deliberate wink. "Let's give them a moment."
The group peeled back gradually, still murmuring, still teasing. I let out a long breath.
"Thank you," I said, loud enough for all of them. "For being here. Seriously... all of you."
Daryl shrugged as it cost him something to stand still. "You don't need to say that, kid. You don't know how many people you've pulled back from the edge." He paused. "And thanks again for the thing with the dog."
"And for Glenn," Maggie added quietly. "For treating him. For all of it."
I nodded. I hadn't done any of it for praise; most of it I'd done for my own reasons, selfish ones I wasn't ready to name out loud. But I didn't deny it either.
Carol stepped forward last, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
"I hope," she said evenly, "that you know how to fix a broken window."
I looked past her at the frame, glass gone, pulled clean from the wall. I scratched the back of my head.
"…Yeah. Sure."
We made our way back toward the prison together, the noise of the group filling the space around me. Beth walked near the edge of it, quieter than the rest, her eyes not quite meeting mine. I noticed. I always noticed. But there was nothing I could offer her not honest. My heart had made its choice, and it wasn't a difficult one.
I glanced back once as we walked.
Mary was following at the rear, unhurried, watching the tree line out of habit. She caught me looking and gave a small nod, nothing more.
I smiled anyway.
The woman I'd underestimated from the start. The one who'd had my back when I least expected it, when I needed it most. I still wasn't sure what to make of that.
Life had a way of surprising you, even now.
---
"So, this is my bed." I pointed at the bunk bed.
Clementine smiled and sat down on the lower bunk, running a hand along the edge of the mattress like she was testing it.
"What about the upper one?" she asked, glancing at the top bunk.
"Oh, that one belongs to the priest. From now on, he won't be sleeping here," I said confidently.
Clementine smiled, then looked behind me.
"Will he be okay with that?"
I waved a hand dismissively.
"Why are you even worried? He won't. never mind."
"Actually, my lord, I do mind."
The priest's voice came from behind me.
I ignored him, just like I had been doing for the last several minutes.
Clementine looked uncertain as she glanced between us.
"Don't worry. You can sleep here. He doesn't care," I said, trying to reassure her.
"Yes, I do care, my lord," the priest interrupted. "I have to write a book about you. How am I supposed to run my charity if I don't write?"
"Max, how about I just sleep with Molly and the other girls? You can enjoy his company instead," Clementine suggested, reaching down to pick up her things.
"Thank you, Lady Clementine," the priest said with a grateful smile.
On the other hand, I was starting to get annoyed.
Without another word, I grabbed him, lifted him off the ground, and tossed him out of the cell.
"There. Problem solved." I dusted off my hands. "Now you stay here and relax. He won't mind. And if he does, I can always cut his head off."
I smiled as I said it.
The priest looked at my face, realized I wasn't joking, frowned, and walked away while continuing to write in his notebook.
"Is he going to be okay?" Clementine asked, concern written across her face.
"Yes, he'll be fine. Why are you so focused on useless things?"
She didn't answer, still watching the hallway where he'd disappeared. I reached out and gently took her hand, drawing her back down onto my lap.
"Hey." I waited until she looked at me. "I want to talk to you."
"About what, Max?" Clementine asked, looking at me curiously as she shifted closer.
"Do you want to get married?"
Clementine looked confused for a moment. Then she held up her hand, showing me the diamond ring.
"Weren't we already married?"
Now I was the one who looked confused. She had apparently thought the ring I gave her was a wedding ring.
"No, that was a gift for giving me the lucky cat necklace," I explained.
"Oh, really?" She tilted her head. "If we do get married, what would be different?"
I thought about the question for a moment and realized I didn't have an answer.
"I don't know. Maybe I should've asked the priest."
Clementine considered that for a second before shrugging.
"I don't really care. I always thought we were basically married already, so it doesn't make much difference to me. If you want to get married, I'm okay with it."
She sounded casual, but the way she tightened her grip on my hand told a different story. I decided not to point it out.
Instead, I rested a hand on her stomach, feeling the slight curve there.
"Do you want to hear their heartbeat?" she asked with an excited smile. "The doctor said you might be able to hear it. You've got good hearing."
I didn't need to be asked twice.
I leaned closer and rested my ear against her stomach.
What I heard left me speechless.
Not one heartbeat.
Two.
I immediately looked up at her.
"Are we having twins?"
My heart raced as I waited for her answer.
She nodded slowly, smiling.
I kissed her right then and there, unable to contain myself.
When we finally pulled apart, she looked away, her cheeks red.
"The doctor said they're fraternal twins," she said softly. "One boy and one girl."
For a moment, I thought my heart might explode.
The excitement hit me all at once.
A son.
A daughter.
Twins.
I took a deep breath and laughed nervously.
"Okay, Clementine. Let's talk about something other than the babies before I pass out."
She chuckled at my expression.
"How about our birthdays? They're coming up soon."
I blinked.
She was right.
It was already October. Time had flown by.
"What gift do you want?" I asked, resting my chin on her shoulder.
"I don't know. Just give me something."
That certainly didn't make things easier.
Still, I nodded.
"Do you have any idea what you wanted to give me?" I asked curiously.
Clementine instantly hid her face, as if embarrassed. After a while, she finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I... I will give you my virginity."
She answered while still hiding her face.
On the other hand, I was confused.
"I've already taken it," I replied.
I tried to look at her. This time, she whispered so quietly that I could barely hear her.
"No... the other virginity."
Finally understanding what she meant, I was unable to think at all. I began questioning reality itself. Life had never been this good to me before, and now it was bombarding me with happiness. I couldn't take it all at once.
"Max, why are you so quiet?"
Clementine looked at me with concern.
I quickly pulled myself together.
"Clementine, are you sure? It will hurt," I asked. I didn't want to see her in pain, especially in her condition.
Clementine looked at me and whispered into my ear.
"I've been practicing for two months. I think I can handle it."
As soon as she spoke, she quickly ran away, unable to face me, her face hidden in embarrassment.
As for me, I had already passed out.